


Fallen

by protect-him (protect_him)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 19:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12282507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protect_him/pseuds/protect-him
Summary: Day 5 of my writetober, and the theme today was "fallen"





	Fallen

The battle was going wonderfully. No one had yet been injured, the slavers were falling back easily, and it looked like they would be easily victorious.

That is, until the explosive spell that one of the mages hurtled towards them. Hawke dodged the glowing ball and Fenris didn’t even see it as it whizzed behind his back and landed only a few steps in front of Anders.

Anders was launched away from the source of the explosion which, having nothing to really explode, only caused a massive burst of air pressure. Anders tumbled back, his eyes widening in panic as he fell over the cliff ledge behind him.

Fenris hadn’t realized what had happened, and Hawke bit back a cry for fear of alarming him. While Fenris ran forward to dispatch of the remaining slavers, Hawke ran back to look over the ledge, afraid of what he would see.

To his surprise, Anders was...whole. The cliff hadn’t been as high as Hawke had assumed, so the tumble hadn’t been quite so far as to be instantly fatal. But Anders was definitely unconscious.

Hawke turned as Varric called out to him.

“Something wrong, Hawke?”

Fenris, too, had finished with the slavers and was turned back, though he was looking around for the healer.

“Where is Anders?” Fenris demanded.

“That magic blast—” Hawke began, and pointed towards the cliff. Fenris leapt forward and only Hawke’s grip on his wrist kept him from jumping off the ledge after the mage.

“Let go, Hawke,” he growled.

“It won’t do Anders any good if you join him down there,” Hawke said. “We’ll all climb down carefully and see what the damage is.”

“How can you be so calm?” Fenris demanded.

“We  _ have _ to be calm,” Hawke said. “Anders would be calm.”

Fenris’s mouth tightened into a straight line and he began walking towards the cliff’s edge.

Varric and Hawke quickly followed.

“Hey, Broody,” Varric said, gesturing to a point further down the cliff face. “There seems to be a gentler slope down there. We can walk down, rather than falling and joining Blondie down there.”

Fenris didn’t say a word. He took off for the place Varric had pointed out and climbed down with Varric and Hawke right on his heels.

“It is strange to see them together, isn’t it?” Varric commented, to which Hawke nodded. “We always assumed they’d never reconcile, and now look at them.”

“As long as Anders is alright,” Hawke said quietly.

By the time they got there, Fenris had already picked up the mage’s head and was cradling it in his lap.

“Is he bleeding?” Hawke asked, kneeling down next to them, feeling first for a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there.

“He seems badly injured,” Fenris said.

“He’s alive,” Hawke replied. “He’ll be fine. But we should get him back to the clinic.”

Once there, though, they kept hoping for Anders to wake up, but he remained unconscious.

Fenris refused to leave the clinic and accepted the food that Hawke brought for him as he kept watch over the mage.

Lirene, Anders’ part-time assistant, helped Fenris try to feed Anders and give him water. Even unconscious, he would swallow liquids, so Fenris painstakingly sat next to him and fed him soup and sips of water to try to keep him nourished.

It was almost five days before Anders woke up.

Fenris saw him moving and hurried to take his hand as Anders’ eyes fluttered open.

“Anders.”

Anders’ face lit up in a wan smile.

“I was hoping it would be you,” he said quietly. “What happened?”

“You fell off a cliff,” Fenris said.

“No wonder I feel sore.” He groaned.

“You remember me?” Fenris asked.

Anders laughed weakly. “I didn’t hit my head  _ that _ hard. Did someone...set my leg?”

“Yes, it was broken.”

Anders dropped his head back on the pillow, sighing.

“You are fortunate to be alive,” Fenris said. “When Hawke said you’d fallen…”

Anders reached to cup a hand against Fenris’s cheek, looking up at the elf affectionately.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to leave without saying good-bye.”

Fenris frowned at him.

“You had better not intend to leave at all.”

“Well, I don’t,” Anders conceded, “but things happen...and the taint.”

“That aside,” Fenris said. “No leaving me.”

“I couldn’t help it much this time,” Anders said. “That spell was unexpected. Did the fight end well?”

“There would have been no injuries if he hadn’t managed to hit you with the spell,” Fenris replied. “It was over immediately after.”

“Good,” Anders said quietly, closing his eyes.

“Mage, you need to eat,” Fenris said, reaching for some soft fruit he kept by him for when Anders woke up.

Anders eyed the plate hungrily. “Those look good,” he said, reaching for the plate. Fenris pulled it back.

“I will feed you,” he said. “You need to lie still.”

“I’ve  _ been _ lying still. For—wait, how long have I been out?”

“Five days. Open up.”

“The clinic—”

“No.” Fenris was firm. He prodded Anders’ lips with the fruit until Anders allowed Fenris to feed him. “Lirene is taking care of things.”

“Have you been here the whole time?”

“Someone needed to watch you,” Fenris said. “You were unresponsive. We had to try to pour water into your mouth so you wouldn’t die.”

Anders smiled at the thought of Fenris holding his head and trying to feed him.

“I had no idea you were so motherly,” Anders said.

“I would not allow anything more to happen to you.”

They remained silent for a while as Anders accepted the fruit Fenris offered him. It was good, fresh and soft. Varric or Isabela must have secured it somehow.

Anders sighed happily, closing his eyes once Fenris was done. The elf had gone to put the plate away and retrieve a flask of water.

He let Anders drink from it, then tucked it away.

Anders had begun to doze off again when Fenris spoke.

“Anders…”

He opened his eyes. “Yes, Fenris?”

“I have been sitting here thinking for several days now.”

“About?”

“I was afraid you would not wake up. I have many regrets, but one greatest of all. I would like to remedy now.”

Anders nodded once, a bit confused.

“What do you regret?”

“You have told me...how you felt. About me.”

“Yes, Fenris, I love you.”

Anders reached for Fenris’s hand and Fenris clasped it tightly.

“I have never said the same to you,” Fenris said.

“You have expressed it a hundred other ways,” Anders was quick to reassure the elf. “I have never doubted your affection.”

“I need to say it,” Fenris insisted.

Anders paused a moment.

“Just know I never assumed you did not love me,” Anders said.

“Anders, I love you.” Fenris bent down to kiss Anders’ forehead.

“That’s all?”

Fenris frowned, puzzled. “That’s all?”

“Only my forehead gets kissed? I was unconscious and haven’t had a kiss in five days, and you kiss my forehead?”

Fenris smirked at Anders’ indignant complaints.

“You require so much of me,” he said, brushing Anders’ hair back and kissing him tenderly.

Anders looked up at Fenris with a look of affection and adoration.

“I’ve missed your beautiful face so much.”

“You have been unconscious, mage.”

“Exactly! I had to wake up so I could see you.”

Fenris snorted.

“You are ridiculous, mage.”

“But I’m  _ your _ ridiculous mage.”

“You are.” Fenris nodded.

“Thank you,” Anders said, bringing Fenris to look at him questioningly. “For telling me you love me. I’ve never doubted, but it means so much to hear it.”

“Well then, I will need to make a point of saying it more often,” Fenris said.

“And I love you too,” Anders replied, blinking sleepily.

“I know,” Fenris said. “Now, you need to rest if you want to recover quickly and get back on your feet.”

Anders nodded, not really feeling strong enough to argue. Fenris had a front of hiding his emotions, but he had a deep well of affection and love that Anders felt privileged to have seen. 

The last thing Anders heard before dozing off was another whispered “ _ I love you _ ,” and he felt the brush of a kiss on his cheek.


End file.
